Manufacture of shoes



Feb. 16 1926. 1,573,124

F. RICKS MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Filed Oct. 51, 1922 Patented Feb. 16,1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED RICKS, 9F LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERYGOR- IPORATION, OE PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEl/V JERSEY.

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES.

Application filed @ctober 31, l.922.- Serial No. 598,218.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED Rrons, a subject of the King of England,residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented certainImprovements in the Manufacture of Shoes, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating likeparts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes, and moreparticularly to the shaping of the heel end portion of upper materialsincluding a heel stiffener or counter.

In order that the upper materials shall properly conform to the wearersfoot and shall hold their shape during the wear of the shoe, it isnecessary that the heel stiffener be positioned correctly in relation tothe upper (using the term upper in its more limited sense) and to theform over which the upper is shaped, and particularly that the ends orwings of the stiffener be properly positioned before they are fixed inrelation to other parts of the shoe. There is a tendency, however, inthe preliminary stages of shaping the heel end portion of the uppermaterials over a form, to. displace the wings of the stiffener bytipping the stiffener about the convex rear end face of the form. In themore customary methodsof making shoes such a difficulty can be overcomeby pulling up andfastening the stiffener wings as a part of the sidelasting operation, or by the use of a previously molded stiffener,provided for example with an inturned heel seat flange, whereby thetendency for displacement of the wings is minimized.

In that method of making shoes which includes as a step prior to theside lasting operation the molding of the heel end portion of the uppermaterials, (usually termed heel seat molding), for example by theapplication of heavy conforming pressure to the materials before theyare mounted on the last, it is of course impractical subse quently topull up-the stiffener wings, since this would effect a relativedisplacement of the molded'parts. On the other hand, the use in heelseat molding of a previously molded stiffener has usually beenconsidered undesirable, both on account of the extra expense ofproducing the stiffener and because of difficulties in presenting andproperly positioning the work in the heel seat molding machine.'lheunmolded stiffener, however, as it is bent about the inner mold,presents a substantially cylindrical inner face to theapproximatelyspherical, or at all events sharply curved, rear end of the mold, and nolittle care is required to position and control the stiffener in suchmanner as to prevent it from tipping as the molds close upon the work,as well as to avoid the danger that portions of the stiffener thatstandaway from the convex end face of the inner mold may be nippedbetween parts of the outer mold as they embrace the work. Thesediffioulties cannot be satisfactorily avoided by rolling the stiffener,in accordance with a well known practice, to give it a heightwisecurvature which is uniform throughout, since this either imparts to thatportion of the stiffener which is to hug the rear end face of the last acurve which is not the right one, and may therefore improperly positionthe stiffener as a whole, or impresses upon the sides or wings of thestiffener a curvature which has to be blocked away by the molds and isapt to causeimproper relative positioning of the stifi'ener wings andthe upper upon the inner mold before the molds grasp the work. While itsuch difficulties by shaping or molding a portion only of the stiffener,of sufficient 6X- tent to insure against tipping of the stiffener withconsequent displacement of its wings in shaping the upper over a form,while leaving the remainder of the stiffener to be shaped or moldedsimultaneously with the upper. It is contemplated that the purposes ofthe invention will be satisfied by molding that portion of the stiffenerwhich is located at the extreme rear end of the shoe in substantialconformity to the heightwise curvature of the rear end face of the formover which the upper is shaped, and it may be also to the contour of asmall area of the for the heel seat molding operation, to confine themolding of the stiffener to that portion which is located at the rearend face of the form over which the upper is shaped. This minimizes alsothe possibility of undersirable results due to lack of propercoordination between the molded portion of the stiffener and thecorresponding portion of the upper shaping form, while at the same timeinsuringthe true seating of the stiffener on the form without anytendency to tip and displace its wings. g

It is also an important characteristic of a well made shoe that the. topedge of the heel stiffener shall lie close to the sides of the wearersfoot, and the pull on the stiffener wings which it is customary to givein the'side lasting operation contributes materially to this result.Such pull on the wings in ordinary shoe making methods is more or lessineffective, however, as far as any real forward drafting or stretchingof the sides of the stiffener is concerned, by reason of the fact thatthe top portions of the stiffener are tightly confined between the upperand the lining as a result of the pulling- -over operation. Moreover,where side grippers have been used in heel seat molding as hereinaboveset forth, any fore-draw that such grippers have acts in common upon theupper, the stiffener and the lining to the detriment of such effectivedrafting of the stiffener as to insure that its top edge shall closelyhug the wearers foot. It is a. further object of the present inventionto secure improved results by applying a tensioning or stretching pullto the sides of the stiffener independently of-the upper before the shoeparts are locked together in the molding operation. By such a pull thestretch may be taken out of the stiffener material, at least in largemeasure, thereby contributing to durability and permanence of shapeinthe wear of the shoe. In ac cordance with the practice hereinillustrated the stiffener is stretched about an inner form and moldingpressure is then applied at the rear end face of the form to mold therear end of the stifiener as and for the larly explained by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows an unshaped heelstifiener blank;

Fig. 2 illustrates the stretching of the stiffener and the molding ofits intermediate or rear end portion;

Fig. 3 shows the stiffener as thus stretched and partially molded;

Fig. 4 shows the stiffener assembled with an upper and illustrates theuse of the previ ously molded portion of the stiffener to position it inrelation to a form over which the upper is molded; and

Fig. 5 shows the heel end portion of the upper materials, including theheel stiffener, in molded condition before they are mounted on a lastfor further manufacturing opera tions.

The. preliminary melding of that portion of the stiffener which is toconform to the contour of the rear end face of the form, and if desiredalso the, stretching of the stiffener, may be effected by the use of anysuit-able apparatus, for example such as illustrated in Fig. 2, whichshows a portion of a machine which forms the subject-matter of anotherapplication, Serial No. 598,219

filed on Oct. 31, 1922. For the purposes inv View, a. stiffei'ier blank,such for example as illustrated in Fig. l, is placed about an inner formor mold 2 the lower or rear end of which is shaped in accordance withthe .heightwise curvature of the rear end face of the form over whichthe upper materials, including the stiffener, are to be molded, andpreferably also in accordance with the transverse contour of the rearend face of the upper molding form, at least over a smalljarca atopposite side s'of the vertical medium plane of the form. Above theportion which is contoured in this manner the stiffener molding form 2is so shaped as not to impart any molded shape to the stiffener.(lo-operating with the form 2 is an outer form or matrix comprising ablock l having therein a shallow cavity presenting a complement-a1contour to the molding face of the form 2. Adjacent to the form 2 is a.gage plate 6 which is spaced from the form a distance corresponding tothe width of that portion of the margin of the stiffener which is to beturned in to pro duce the molded seat flange in the molding of the'uppermaterials. The form 2 is mounted upon a vertically movable plunger 8,and at each side of the plunger is mounted a pair of gripper jaws 10which are closed upon the ends or wings of the stiff ener as the plungeris depressed, through the action of the mechanism shown and described indetail in the co-pending application. a

It will be understood thatthe operator positions a stiffener blank aboutthe mold 2 while the mold is in an upraised position and presents theends of the stiffener between the gripper jaws with the bottom edge ofthe stiffener in engagement with the plate 6. He then depresses theplunger 8, Whereby the jaws 10 are closed upon the stiffener ends andthrough continued movement of the plunger a lengthwise pull is appliedby the gripper jaws to stretch the opposite side portions of thestiffener and to draw the stiffener about the end face of the form. Asthe stiffener material is thus pulled and held in tensioned condition,the form 2 arrives in position to press and mold the rear end por tionof the stiffener between the lower contoured end face of the form andthe cooperating molding face of the plate 4. The pull thus applied tothe stiffener ends may serve to take the stretch out of the stiffenermaterial, at least in large measure, and thereby contribute effectivelyto durability and permanence of shape in the finished shoe, particularlyin respect to the conformity of the top edge portion of the stiffener tothe opposite sides of the wearers foot.

A stiffener a prepared as above set forth is shown in Fig. 3. In the useof such a stiffener in the practice of heel seat molding, as hereinillustrated, the stiffener is positioned between the upper .7) and thelining 0 of assembled upper materials, and the heel end portion of. thematerials, including the stiffener, is then positioned about the innerform 12 of a heel seat molding machine, as illustrated in Fig. 4, sothat the molded rear end portion of the stiffener substantially fits thecorresponding end face of the form and thus assists in determining theproper position of the materials. Outer molds or forms i i are thenclosed on the materials about the inner form, and the marginal portionof the materials, including the stiffener, is bent inwardly and pressedupon the bottom face of the form by wiper members 16 to produce a moldedheel seat flange. It will be understood that since the rear end portionof the stiffener has been previously molded to conform to the rear endface of the inner form or mold, the stiffener maintains itspredetermined relation to the inner form without danger of tipping inresponse to the pressure of the outer members 14 as they close about theinner form. Assurance is thereby afforded that the ends or wings of thestiffener will remain in position to present above the bottom face ofthe inner form material to provide the proper width of marginal flangeat the opposite sides of the heel seat.

, After the upper materials have been thus molded at their heel endportion, they are removed from the molding machine, and the materials,shaped as illustrated in Fig. 5, are thereafter mounted upon a lastpreparatory to the side lasting operation and other oper ations in themanufacture of the shoe.

It will be observed that by .the use of the apparatus illustrated inFig. 2 in practising the method the stretching pull of the grippers ismost effective upon portions of the stiffener midway between its bottomand top edges. If it shouldbe desired to-stretch the top edge portion ofthe stiffener more than other portions, this could be effected byproviding grippers of greater width than those illustrated and soconstructed as to grip the top edge portionof the stiffener moresecurely than other portions with provision for the latter port-ions toslip in the aws in response to the pull applied.

While the invention is herein illustrated in connection with thepractice of molding the heel. end portion of the upper materials beforethey are mounted upon the last, it is to be understood that theinvention is not thus limited, but'is likewise applicable with importantadvantages to shoemaking methods where the last serves as the form overwhich theupper materials are shaped. It should also be understood thatthe term molding is used herein as meaning the operation of shaping apart by subjecting it to pressure between cooperating presser members.

Having explained the nature of the invention and set forth fully how thenovel method may bepractised, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. That improvement in methodsof making shoes which consists in assembling with an upper a heelstiffener having a molded contour confined to a limited areasubstantially midway between its opposite ends and correspondingsubstantially to the contour of the rear end face only of a form overwhich the upper is to be shaped, positioning the assembled upper andstiffener in such relation to the form that the molded intermediateportion of the stiffener substantially fits the rear end face of theform, and shaping over said form the upper and the remaining portions ofthe stiffener.

2. That improvement in methods of male ing shoes which consists inassembling with an upper an unflanged heel stiffener having its Wingsunmolded and its rear portion shaped to conform substantially to theheightwise curvature of the rear end face only of a shoe form,positioning the assembled upper and stiflener in such relation to theform that the molded portion of the stiffener substantially fits thecurvature of,

the corresponding portion of the form, and shaping over said form theupper and stiffener thus assembled and positioned.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists inassembling with an upper an unflanged heel stiffener having a moldedcontour confined to a limited area substantially midway between itsopposite conform them to the contour of said. form.

and to produce an inturned heel seat flange, and thereafter removing theupper materials from the form and mountingthem upon a last forsebsequent manufacturing operations.

4. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in moldingaheelstiffener to conform substantially to the con-.

tour of the rear end face only of a form over which the heel end portionof an upper is to be shaped while leaving the remainder of the stiffenerunmolded, assembling the stiffener thus prepared with the upper andpositioning the assembled upper and stiffener in such relation to theform that the molded portion of thestiffener substantially fits thecorresponding end face of the form, and then shaping the upper and theremain-- der of the stiffener over said form.

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists insubjecting a heel stiffener blank to molding pressure confined to alimited area substantially midway between the opposite ends of the blankto shape that portion of the blank in substantial conformity to. thecontour of the rear end face only of a form' over which the upper of theshoe is to be molded, asstm bling with the upper the stiffener thusprepared and positioning the assembled upper and stiffener in suchrelation tothe form that the molded intermediate portion of thestiffener substantially fits the rear end face of the form, molding theupper and the remainder of the stiffener over said form, and thereafterremoving the molded upper materials from the form and mounting them upona last for subsequent; manufacturing operations. a

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in,stretching a heel stiflener blank by pulls applied to its, wings andmolding it at its rear portion only to conform substantially to thecontour ofthe heel end face of a shoe form, thereafter. assembling thestiffener with an upper and positioning the assembled upper andstiffener in such relation to the form that the molded portion of thestiffener substantially fits the corresponding end face of the form, andthen shaping the upper and other portions of the stiffener over saidform. r

. 7. That improvement in methods of mak 9; That improvement in methodsof making heel stifi'eners which consists in tensioning a stiffenerblank in the direction of its length-in such manner as to stretchportions of the blank along its top edge in greater degree than otherportions.

10 A heel stiffener for use in making shoes,having a molded contourconfined to a limited area substantial-1y midway between its oppositeends and corresponding substantially to the contour of the rear end faceonly of the form over which the upper of the shoe is to be shaped.

11. An unfla-nged heel stiffener having its wings unmolded and a portionsubstantially midway between its opposite ends molded to conformsubstantially to the heightwise curvature of the heel end face only ofthe form over which the upper of the shoe is to be shaped.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

-' FRED RICKS.

